HF 617

as introduced - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 02/21/2011 09:55am

A bill for an act
relating to education; aligning AmeriCorps Innovation to federal law; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 124D.36; 124D.38, subdivision 3; 124D.39;
124D.40; 124D.42, subdivision 6; 124D.44; 124D.45, subdivision 2; repealing
Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.38, subdivisions 4, 5, 6.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.36, is amended to read:

124D.36 CITATION; deleted text begin MINNESOTA YOUTHWORKS deleted text end new text begin AMERICORPS
INNOVATION new text end ACT.

Sections 124D.37 to 124D.45 shall be cited as the " deleted text begin Minnesota Youthworks deleted text end new text begin
AmeriCorps Innovation new text end Act."

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.38, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Federal law.

"Federal law" means Public Law deleted text begin 101-610 deleted text end new text begin 111-13 new text end , as
amended, or any other federal law or program assisting youth community service,
work-based learning, or youth transition from school to work.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.39, is amended to read:

124D.39 deleted text begin YOUTHWORKS deleted text end new text begin AMERICORPS INNOVATION new text end PROGRAM.

The deleted text begin Youthworks deleted text end new text begin AmeriCorps Innovation new text end program is established new text begin to provide funding
for the commission to leverage federal and private funding new text end to fulfill the purposes of section
124D.37. The deleted text begin Youthworks deleted text end new text begin AmeriCorps Innovation new text end program must supplement existing
programs and services. The program must not displace existing programs and services,
existing funding of programs or services, or existing employment and employment
opportunities. No eligible organization may terminate, layoff, or reduce the hours of work
of an employee to place or hire a program participant. No eligible organization may
place or hire an individual for a project if an employee is on layoff from the same or a
substantially equivalent position.

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.40, is amended to read:

124D.40 deleted text begin YOUTHWORKS deleted text end new text begin AMERICORPS INNOVATION new text end GRANTS.

Subdivision 1.

Application.

An eligible organization interested in receiving a
grant under sections 124D.39 to 124D.44 may prepare and submit an application to the
commission. new text begin As part of the grant application process, the commission must establish and
publish grant application guidelines that are consistent with this subdivision, section
124D.37, and Public Law 111-13; include criteria for reviewing an applicant's cost-benefit
analysis; and require grantees to use research-based measures of program outcomes to
generate valid and reliable data that are available to the commission for evaluation and
public reporting purposes.
new text end

Subd. 2.

Grant authority.

The commission must use any state appropriation and
any available federal funds, including any grant received under federal law, to award
grants to establish programs for deleted text begin Youthworks deleted text end new text begin AmeriCorps Innovation new text end . At least one grant
each must be available for a metropolitan proposal, a rural proposal, and a statewide
proposal. If a portion of the suburban metropolitan area is not included in the metropolitan
grant proposal, the statewide grant proposal must incorporate at least one suburban
metropolitan area. In awarding grants, the commission may select at least one residential
proposal and one nonresidential proposal.

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.42, subdivision 6, is amended to read:

Subd. 6.

Program training.

The commission must, within available resources:

(1) orient each grantee organization in the nature, philosophy, and purpose of the
program; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(2) build an ethic of community service through general community service
training deleted text begin . deleted text end new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (3) provide guidance on integrating performance-based measurement into program
models.
new text end

Sec. 6.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.44, is amended to read:

124D.44 MATCH REQUIREMENTS.

deleted text begin Youthworks deleted text end new text begin AmeriCorps Innovation new text end grant funds must be used for the living
allowance, cost of employer taxes under sections 3111 and 3301 of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, workers' compensation coverage, health benefits new text begin , training and evaluation new text end
for each program participant, and administrative expenses, which must not exceed
deleted text begin five deleted text end new text begin seven new text end percent of total program costs. deleted text begin Youthworks grant funds may also be used to
supplement applicant resources to fund postservice benefits for program participants. deleted text end
Applicant resources, from sources and in a form determined by the commission, must
be used to provide for all other program costs deleted text begin , including the portion of the applicant's
obligation for postservice benefits that is not covered by state or federal grant funds and
such costs as supplies, materials, transportation, and salaries and benefits of those staff
directly involved in the operation, internal monitoring, and evaluation of the program deleted text end .

Sec. 7.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.45, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Interim report.

The commission must report deleted text begin semiannually deleted text end new text begin annually new text end to the
legislature with interim recommendations to change the program.

Sec. 8. new text begin REPEALER.
new text end

new text begin Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.38, subdivisions 4, 5, and 6, new text end new text begin are repealed.
new text end